


Family

by papyruspie



Series: Lore Redemption [2]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Dad!Lore (I am so happy to finally get to type that haha), Data's Emotion Chip (Star Trek), Family, First Crush, Gen, Just like Lore I don’t really know what I’m doing lol, Probably some angsty stuff at some point, emotional issues, so much emotions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28281381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/papyruspie/pseuds/papyruspie
Summary: Looking at all the names, one popped out at him finally. “Aiden”. Meaning “little fire”. He liked that. A little fire could bring warmth to others, it was comforting and nice. But it could also become dangerous. He wasn’t sure what to think about that part of it, but... it was good to be able to defend yourself if needed, wasn’t it? But he focused on the positives of “little fire”, and decided it was him indeed. Aiden.(Aka Lore’s a dad now and has no idea what he’s doing... and other issues will surely occur too)
Relationships: Data & Lore (Star Trek), Data/Geordi La Forge, Lore & Deanna Troi, Lore & Original Character
Series: Lore Redemption [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071692
Comments: 31
Kudos: 17





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to Family! My tradition with this series seems to be unintentionally naming the fics after TNG episode titles haha.
> 
> I don’t have much of an idea where the plot is going right now, but I’m very excited to begin sharing this story nonetheless! :D

** Ch 1 **

This was the worst idea Lore had ever had. Worse than when he thought he’d be able to control all of those Borg  _ and _ his brother. But here he was, on goddam Omicron Theta, for... well, he didn’t want to think about how many days it had been. This desolate planet, made that way  _ because _ of him, was really not the most ideal environment for a good headspace.

And all he had to do around here was work on that kid or walk around outside. Great.

Was it awful? Yes. Mind-numbingly boring? Yes. Did he question what the hell he was doing there every damn day? Also yes.

Lore ran his hand across his face, staring outat the barren landscape.

_ But that damn kid... _ he reminded himself. That was what kept him going. That kid had so much hope in him... he’s reminded Lore a bit of himself when he was young, if he were to be honest. But damn... this really had been a stupid, semi-impulsive decision, huh? He was the only one out here, all alone, except for the half-built body of his son. 

_ His _ son. That was something he still had yet to get used to. He had a son. That was... something, alright. The only thing Lore knew for certain was he wouldn’t be doing things like his father had. No, he’d actually  _ be there _ for the kid when he was in need. No turning to powerful entities and destroying lives in this kid’s future! ....assuming he had a future.

Lore wasn’t sure if he could actually get him working again. And if he couldn’t... well, the amount of months he’d already spent here would’ve been a huge waste for one. And Melanie Rena... she really cared about Fable. It was less than a year now till she could resume working in Starfleet. Lore didn’t know where she’d end up working now, but he’d have to contact her if Fable was fixed. He did already warn her, the odds of his memories remaining were slim. He likely wouldn’t remember his big sister.

_ But that’s something to think about later, _ Lore supposed, while heading back to his father’s lab. 

* * *

The most challenging part of this other than the technical stuff was deciding what his kid was gonna look like... he wasn’t so self-absorbed like Often Wrong was to make a kid in his own image... or more than one kid, in his dad’s case. He really should’ve asked Data more about how he did things, making his daughter. Oh well, too late now. But now that he was beginning to make cosmetic touches, it was really tough to figure this out. Should he try and make the kid look actually human? Or stick to a more similar appearance to himself, all golden-pale skin and lemon-lime eyes? He couldn’t make any more progress until he decided...

Lore sighed. “Well, I guess if you really hate how you look, I can try and change that later on, huh?” 

...talking to his currently inactive son. That was a good sign of his sanity. Definitely. Whatever. Let’s roll with that.

“Okay, so I’m gonna make you look kinda like me, if that’s ok... I mean, we are father and son... dang, that feels weird to say. But I’m just thinking, we should probably look a bit similar?Familial resemblance and all.”

...not that he was gonna get the kid’s opinion right now. Well, good. He now kinda knew what he was doing. Hopefully he wouldn’t make a screwy looking kid...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be explaining quite a few things in the end notes for next chapter lol, but for now I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this fic! :)


	2. Call Me Aiden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!!!  
> Here’s Aiden!!!! :D I love him haha
> 
> Oh also, I made an insta post (@lore_a_lie) meme-ing about this chapter basically, plus a picture of Aiden made in Animal Crossing if anyone wants to check that out :)

** Ch 2 **

Blinking. He  _ was  _ blinking. He was laying down on something. And there was... someone? Yes, that was the word, wasn’t it? Someone else there too. A...  _ man _ . That word was supplied to him too. At least... he thought it was a man. Hard to be sure. But he himself, he knew he was a he. Interesting. 

The man(?) looked at him with an odd expression. He didn’t know what to call it. He was smiling, but also something else. Like it was... a task he was glad to be done with? Was he a task? He had no name he knew of to call himself. Or this potential man in the room. He should try speaking, shouldn’t he?

“Hello,” he croaked out. 

The man snapped to attention. “Oh god, hi.”

“God?” He pointed to himself.

The man laughed nervously. “No, you’re not god. It’s just an expression, of sorts.”

“Oh... who am I then? A task?”

“What? No. You’re... well, you’re my son.”

More information flowed into his brain. “So... you are my parent?”

“Yeah. I’m... your dad. The name’s Lore.”

“Lore? Hello.” he attempted to sit up, but found himself unable to hold the position. 

“Woah, just lay down, okay?”

“Okay, Lore.”

The man sighed, exasperated. “And I guess... you should probably call me dad. Father, whatever. Something along those lines.”

“Oh. Ok, dad. So... who am I? Do I have a name?”

“A name...” dad scratched his head. “Well, you can pick your name yourself, if you want.”

“Sure! But... how do I know what to pick?”

“Try looking through your database on names. There’ll be tons to pick from, plus what the names mean.”

Names streaming over every inch of his mind... his dad was right, there was “tons”, as he’d put it. Hmm... what to call himself? So many choices... and a name was usually a thing that stuck. He’d have to really like it. 

Looking at all the names, one popped out at him finally. “Aiden”. Meaning “little fire”. He liked that. A little fire could bring warmth to others, it was comforting and nice. But it could also become dangerous. He wasn’t sure what to think about that part of it, but... it was good to be able to defend yourself if needed, wasn’t it? But he focused on the positives of “little fire”, and decided it was him indeed.  _ Aiden_.

“Alright, dad... you can call me Aiden.”

“Aiden, huh? ‘Little fire’. That suits you.”

Aiden grinned. “I agree! But....now what? What do I do?”

“Well, just about anything, I guess. I was thinking of taking you to meet your Uncle soon, if you’d want to...?”

Aiden’s yellow-green eyes widened. “I have an Uncle?”

“Yep, my brother Data. I think you’ll like him. He’s kinda... hm. I dunno how to describe him really. He’s a lot more relaxed than me in some ways, but also a lot more of a stickler for the rules.”

“Oh. Cool! What should I think about the rules then?” He asked, attempting to sit up, with success this time.

Lore sighed. “Kid, there’s a lot of things you’re just gonna have to form your own opinions on.”

“Ahhhh. Got it. Rules... hm. What do I think about rules?”

“Most of these things are also going to take some time, ok? You can’t make a decision on the spot without any personal experience about it.”

“Wow, you’re so wise dad!”

Lore flinched. “Uh huh... I wouldn’t say that. I’m just older than you and know more.”

“Isn’t that wisdom?”

“Dammit kid... I guess you’re right. But... you knew that. So maybe you’ve already got some wisdom.”

“I guess so! Wisdom runs in the family, huh?”

“I  _ really  _ don’t know about that,” Lore laughed.

“Why’s that?” 

“I’ll tell you more about the rest of your family some other time. That’s a lot to unpack in itself.”

“Fine, have it your way,” he scoffed. 

“Ohhhhh...” his dad said. 

“Oh what?”

Lore grinned at him. “Now you’re actually sounding more like my son.”

“Grumpy and mean?”

“Do you have to put it that way? What about... sarcastic and annoyed?”

Aiden frowned. “Is that really much better?”

“I don’t know kid. Do you not like heavy sarcasm and shit? Guess you’ll have to find out. But that’s who your dad is, either way.”

“‘Shit’? I can swear and won’t get in trouble?” Aiden’s face slowly grew to a mischievous grin. “Never mind, you can be sarcastic and whatever! I like those words! They’re fun to say!!”

“Heh, finally something we can agree about...” Lore trailed off, as Aiden swore quite excessively for the next... well, let’s just say too many minutes for most people.   
  
But it was alright with Lore. The kid needed to get used to his vocal systems anyways. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, there was still a lot Aiden had to learn, but for now... things were not bad. Good, even. Well... better than he would’ve thought, that’s for sure. And that was good enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, big explanation time, or more like a behind the scenes I guess lol:
> 
> Aiden and Fable were originally two separate characters. Fable was going to be essentially a Lore clone, hence the name “Fable” (which is basically a synonym for Lore). Fable was going to be manipulated into helping Melanie and Edwards, not doing it by choice. But Lore would eventually convince him it wasn’t right and Fable would end up siding with Lore and sacrificing himself to save Lore. That would’ve been the end of Fable.
> 
> But I’d also had an idea way early on while writing Redemption to write a sequel in which Lore has a son. The name Aiden just popped into my head for him too! But I could never figure why Lore would want to be a parent, and I eventually realized I could make Fable and Aiden the same character! Fable still sacrifices himself, but isn’t done for! 
> 
> It worked out quite well I think, because now we have the added drama of Aiden not remembering anything of Redemption. And of course, I couldn’t have him keep looking like Lore, so somehow juuuussst his brain survived (kinda, since his memories are gone, but his personality is pretty much the same!) and he’s got his own look now! Which will be described a bit next chapter haha.
> 
> TL;DR: Fable and Aiden were originally two separate characters, but I mashed them together so that Lore could kinda plausibly end up being a father :)


	3. Mirror, Mirror, Who Do I See?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha sorry I’ve been delaying posting this chapter bc I wasn’t happy with it... oh well

**Ch** **3**

Aiden blinked. “That’s  _me_?”  He asked, pointing at the person staring back at him in the mirror.

“Yeah... uh, I had to kinda decide what you’d look like myself. If you don’t like how you look, I can try to change it-“

“Nonono, I just- I can’t believe it! That’s me! Me! Me with the shaggy hair and the uhhh... thick eyebrows and big eyes!! Thanks dad, I love how I look!”

“Well, damn. I didn’t think you’d be so happy about it.”

“I have one thing I’m not sure if I like actually...” he said, looking up at his dad. “Why do I have to be shorter than you?”

“Really kid?  _ That’s  _ your fucking complaint? You’re not that much shorter, really...”

“Yeah, but I feel tiny compared to you!”

“You’re my kid, you’re supposed to be younger and smaller than me anyways!”

“I guess... but I’m not gonna grow, right? I’m an android!”

“Is this gonna bug you  _ that _ much?” Lore complained, face palming.

“Nah, it’s ok. I was just wondering  why.  You want to feel tall and powerful or something?”

“Geeze. No! What is  _ with _ you?”

“I dunno... shouldn’t you know?”

“Fuck,” Lore sighed. “Family, how fun...”

“Hm?” 

“How about you just relax for the rest of the night? I’m gonna go on a walk. Just don’t mess anything up around here, alright?”

Aiden nodded as his dad left his view. 

He didn’t really understand his dad. 

Lore didn’t seem like a person who was ready to be a parent. But why create him then? 

Maybe he just thought he was ready, and was now discovering he wasn’t? But something told Aiden that wasn’t quite it. His dad seemed like he was reluctantly thrown into this somehow... like.... hmmm. Aiden wasn’t really sure. He didn’t want to bother his dad by asking  _ why  _ he was made, but it was a pretty valid question, wasn’t it?

He had a feeling his dad wouldn’t like it though. It was a weird thing to ask.

A thing most species wouldn’t  _ have  _ to ask.  _Maybe later, _ Aiden decided. He didn’t want to ruin their relationship. It was pretty delicate right now. They still didn’t know each other very well, and prying into his dad’s personal life too much probably wasn’t a good idea yet... even just him asking about the planet they were on had led Lore to be twitchy and answer evasively. 

Aiden felt safe, he trusted his dad that much... but there was more going on than he knew about, he could tell. 

_ Later,  _ he reminded himself.  _ For now, I guess I can look around this lab a bit! It might be fun... _


	4. Yeah, it’s all my fault, really

** Ch 4 **

Lore wanted to scream. However, he had a kid with extremely good hearing who would definitely notice if he did. So, he walked around Omicron Theta in silence, letting the screaming be completely internal.

_ I don’t know what the hell I’m doing! _

He’d been trying to act knowledgeable in front of Aiden, but... he was pretty sure the kid could tell something was off. Aiden seemed to be doing well enough, so Lore was thinking they get the hell away from this place, maybe tomorrow even? He needed some help, dammit! Yes, he’d fixed the kid,  _ yay _ ! Given the kid a chance at life! 

But uhhh... now that he was having to do the parenting stuff? Lore, he should’ve known he wasn’t father material. Why did he ever think he could do this?? Who the hell was gonna raise this kid then? Fuck, he needed to get to the Enterprise ASAP! Data could help maybe? And Deanna would probably know what to do!

Yeah, getting out of here as quick as possible sounded like a semi-decent plan.

_ Time to tell the kid, _ Lore figured, heading back to the lab.

* * *

“Hey, Aiden...”

“Oh, you’re back! How was the walk?” Aiden said, springing up from his spot on the floor at rapid speed.

“Fine,” he shrugged. “Listen, I’m thinking we should go soon. Leave this planet. You can meet your Uncle and see a big-ass starship.”

“Sure! I guess...”

“You  _guess_?” Lore sighed. “What’s the matter?”

“Well... I don’t get why you want to leave so suddenly! Why go here in the first place?”

“You’ve always gotta ask the tough questions, huh?”

“Does-“ Aiden hesitated. “I think you’ll be mad if I ask this....”

“Great! Just great. What the hell, just tell me... no use in dragging this out.”

“Ok...” Aiden crouched down to grab a simple, plain notebook. Lore’s heart dropped. In a manner of speaking. He was pretty damn sure he knew what that was. 

“Does it have something to do with whoever wrote this stuff?” 

_ Fuck, I thought I’d hidden that better... _

Yes, Lore knew shit about androids of course, but he needed more help to freaking build one himself! So, unfortunately he’d had to go to his  _ dear old dad’s  _ notes from when Lore himself was being planned out.

“Kind of...” Lore admitted. “That would be your grandpa’s notes. He’s dead.”

“Oh... that’s why you’re mentioned in the notes then. He made you?”

“Yep,” Lore confirmed, nodding stiffly.

“He must’ve been pretty smart then! Uh, not that you aren’t smart too! But it looks like he had a lot of stuff to figure out, to get you working!”

“Yeah, he definitely had some good thoughts in that brain of his... but he didn’t get me working very well to begin with,” Lore let out a deep breath. He was getting déjà vu... he’d already had to tell Fable, Aiden, (whatever the name!) his past once before. 

Here goes nothing... story time once more.

* * *

“So, yeah... the way this place is... it’s all my fault, really.” Lore finished explaining.

“Oh.”  _ That’s  _ why his dad had been acting so weird about this planet? ...because he’d helped kill everyone living on it. That was certainly not what he’d expected to hear. Aiden’s dad was a murderer...

“Oh. Um... do you feel bad about it?” Aiden asked.

“Yes? ...you couldn’t tell?”

“Well, not really,” Aiden shrugged awkwardly. “You mostly just seemed really  _ weird  _ about it... like you didn’t want to be telling me.”

“Maybe because I didn’t, but you kind of forced my hand... besides, you’d probably have to find out eventually. Your pa’s a murderer! Hooray! Your grandpa was kind of a shitty person! Great!” Lore laughed. “Yeah, a great family to be a part of, huh.”

“Nobody can be perfect, right? I’m sure even I’m not perfect!”

Lore froze, just for a second. “Yeah, that’s true.”

_ What’s that about?  _ Aiden wondered.

“Is everything alright?”

Lore sighed. “How about we leave soon? I hate to say this, but I  _ can’t  _ handle dealing with all this shit about you on my own.”

“Oh.” What was he supposed to think about that? “I guess so...” Aiden kind of felt like he was being rejected. He thought that sounded like the right word.

“Great. Thanks, kid.”

Nothing about this felt “great”, but Aiden didn’t want to disappoint his dad. So he was going to meet his uncle, huh? His dad did say he’d probably like his Uncle Data. Maybe Data would be more caring... Aiden hoped so. There was only one way to find out. To actually meet him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And next chapter... Data!!! :0


	5. Emotions

** Ch 5 **

Data was sitting on his bed. He had been doing so for the last 2 hours, 4 minutes, 38 seconds. He knew he should initiate his dream program soon, or at the least find something more productive to do... but he did not desire to. He was caught up in his thoughts... and his feelings.

It had been a while since the crash of the Enterprise-D, and now they finally had a new ship. The Enterprise-E. This bed... it should not bother him so much that it was not the same bed he had for the past 7 years. But it did. There were no memories associated with it. No dreaming with Spot by his side at the foot of the bed. It... saddened him, these new quarters. This new ship. Even though the Enterprise-E was more advanced than the D had been, and logically, it was the preferable model. Despite knowing this, Data longed for the Enterprise-D. He...missed it. 

Emotions were a funny thing. Since he had decided to attempt using the memory chip, his life had changed drastically. He now found he had many preferences, when before he would be indifferent. Trying food and drink was especially interesting. He could share in the happiness his friends felt when celebrating. But emotions could be very painful too, he was learning. This melancholy he felt - over a room that was simply not the one he was accustomed to occupying - it was odd.

Suddenly, his badge chirped, taking him out of his thoughts. “Riker to Data,”

“Yes?”

“We’ve just received a hail from a Starfleet shuttle. It’s your brother.”

_ Lore?  _ It had already been a little over a year since the events plotted by the late Admiral Edwards and Lieutenant Commander Rena unfolded, reactivating Lore and surprisingly, fixing him and over the course of his time on the Enterprise, giving him a new view on life. Data and Lore certainly felt more like an actual family than they ever had before.

But Lore had been away on a personal mission, to fix a son he never asked for. Somewhat strange, but still a worthy cause. Data was not sure how he would react to seeing Lore again. And potentially meeting a nephew as well, if his brother was hailing the Enterprise with good news. There was not anything Data could do to prepare. He would just have to find whatever awaited him... and the emotional consequences that would surely come with it.

“...understood, sir. I am on my way.”

* * *

  
“Hello, Data!” A familiar face spoke on the view screen. 

“Lore,” Data greeted. “It has been a long time.”

A new face popped up behind Lore. “Hi Uncle!”

Data’s surprise must have shown on his face, as his nephew ( _nephew_...that would take some getting used to) frowned. “Sorry, did I scare you?”

Data shook his head. “It is alright.”

Lore looked lost, but shrugged it off. “Anyways, we were hoping to stay on the Enterprise for a while? Let Aiden meet you in person and shit...” he trailed off, looking around at the Enterprise-E’s bridge. “You got a new ship huh?”

“Yes,” Data said. “We can discuss that later though.” He turned his head away from the communication channel. “Captain? Would my brother and... nephew have permission to come aboard the Enterprise once they are within range?”

Picard nodded. “Yes, of course,” he answered, then turned his attention to Lore. “That coincides quite well with our current rendezvous to Starbase 47. You may stay as long as necessary.”

“Uh, thanks Captain.” Lore grinned awkwardly.

“Yes, thank you!” Aiden exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see this whole ship! It’s a big-ass place!” 

Lore chuckled, a bit uncomfortably. “Well, we’ll be seeing you soon enough then.”

And with that, he cut the communications.

Data did not know what to think of that. He was glad to see his brother again, but Lore seemed very... off. Distracted, and perhaps even... worried? Data feared he would not be of much help once his brother arrived. While he might be able to relate to emotional matters now, sometimes it was difficult enough to deal with his own feelings. He could only hope Lore and his son -  _ Aiden  _ would have enough support from others on the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yes, we’re dealing with emotion chip Data! I don’t believe he had no emotions until the chip of course, but writing from Data’s view, that is what he believes.


	6. Arrival

** Ch 6 **

It was time. Lore and Aiden had arrived. Data was still quite unsure how he would react to seeing them. 

As the shuttle opened and the two stepped out, Data found himself beaming. “Brother! It is you!” 

Lore looked over. “Data?” 

“Yes!” Data realized he was quite relieved to see his brother after so long. “I have missed you! How have you been?” 

Lore stared at Data. “Uhhh what. You’re... you’re acting weird.” 

“I was going to say the same about your behaviour from our communications earlier.”

Lore just continued to look at Data with utter confusion.

Data nearly face palmed. “Oh, of course. You do not know! Geordi got the emotion chip working! I am actually...  glad  to see you!”

“What? You- you finally decided to try that thing out? That’s great!” Lore exclaimed, giving Data a hug. The two of them smiled, sharing in the joy of the moment. 

“So, what, he didn’t always have emotions?” Aiden piped up, arms crossed and looking bored.

Data turned to his nephew. “No. I was intentionally made without emotions. Because...” he looked at Lore, uncertain if he should say. 

Lore sighed. “Because of me. When your grandpa decided to make another android, he didn’t want to risk him turning out like me... all emotionally screwed up.”

“Oh. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked,” Aiden commented, kicking at the floor.

“It’s all good,” Lore responded, looking very much like it was not all good.

“It is alright,” Data agreed, even if it appeared everything was not alright.

“Okay!” Aiden grinned. “Glad to hear it,” 

“I can show you the way to your guest quarters now if you would like,” Data said, attempting to break the awkward tension.

“Sure,” Lore nodded. “Good idea.”

They headed on their way, Data and Lore walking side by side, while Aiden trailed behind, humming to himself.

Lore spoke quietly to Data. “Listen, I need some help here.”

“In what way?” Data responded, equally quiet.

“I don’t know what the hell I’m doing with this kid!” Lore whispered in exasperation.

“Oh.” Data did not know how he could be of much assistance. He had only been a father briefly.  _ Lal _ ... he would be lying if he said his thoughts had not turned to her since the emotion chip. He missed her. It was an aching sort of pain that he was not sure would ever go away.

“I would suggest you ask someone else for help... perhaps Counsellor Troi?”

“Well, yeah, but don’t you wanna help too? I’m your  _brother_! ”

“I apologize. I do not believe I am the right person to be asking for help however.”

“Why?” Lore asked.

“We are nearly to your quarters,” Data replied. “Perhaps we may discuss that later?”

“Fine.”

* * *

Well, Aiden liked their quarters. A lot. He was practically bouncing around the place. 

“Could you cut that out?” Lore complained.

“Why? I like this place! It’s a lot more exciting than Omicron Theta was!”

“Whatever,” he grumbled.

“Anyways, what now? They’re going to a Starbase soon, right? Do I get to see a  _ Starbase _ ?” Aiden asked excitedly.

“No... they’re just picking up some new personnel or whatever, then onto the next mission of theirs.”

“Oh... well, I guess that’s okay. There’s still lots of this ship to look around at!”

“Uh huh...” Lore looked unsettled.

“What the hell’s up with you?” Aiden wondered. “I thought you were going to be happier once we got here!”

“Things don’t work as easy as that, kid! Just... behave yourself?” He sighed. “I don’t know. I really don’t. This... you can’t understand how damn  _ difficult _ all this is! I just... I really don’t know.”

“Am I... an issue?” Aiden asked hesitantly. “Did you bring me here to get rid of me or something?”

“What? No. No, never. I told you about your grandpa already, right?”

Aiden nodded.

“Well... I admit, contacting the Crystalline Entity and offering the lives of the colonists wasn’t earning me any points with him, but I’d already felt abandoned by him before he deactivated me.” Lore sat down, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Yes, he’d told his son the basic story, but he never had really told anyone how he’d personally _felt_. But how else would Aiden believe he wasn’t going to leave him?

“It felt like he didn’t really care about me. Like I had to put in more work into our relationship than he did. No kid should have to do that! So I gave up eventually. Became bitter and shit, you know? I can promise, I don’t want you to turn out like I did. To  _ feel  _ like I did. Even if I don’t have much of a clue what I’m doing, we’re family, alright? And we’re going to stick together.”

Aiden ran over to give his dad a hug. “Thank you, dad. That means a lot.”

“Of course,” Lore said in a soft tone, surprising himself a little. “You’re not going to be abandoned, kid. Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, of course, I’m kind of making up stuff for Lore’s past... we don’t know the whole story.
> 
> Hopefully it works alright ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	7. More Familiar Arrivals

**Ch 7**

A few hours after the Enterprise had left the Starbase, Lore found out there was not one, but  _ two  _ rather familiar faces that had been picked up. 

That afternoon, the door chime went off. “Come in,” Lore said.

“Hi Lore,” Melanie Rena said, stepping in.

Well, crap. With Aiden here, they were going to walking on eggshells in this conversation.

“Hello,” he said. “It’s been a while. You... you wouldn’t have gotten to know this. I have a son now. Meet Aiden.” He tried his best to convey in his eyes that Aiden obviously, very much so, did NOT remember her.

“O-oh! Hello Aiden!” She waved. “I’m Lieutenant Melanie Rena. I’m going to be working in engineering on the Enterprise.”

“Hi!” He grinned. “You seem cool.”

“Thank you,” she smiled with melancholy. “You do too.”

“Can we be friends?” Aiden asked.

“Absolutely,” Melanie answered. “I’d love that.”

“Awesome!” Aiden turned to Lore. “Dad, I made a friend already! Did you see that?”

“Yeah, I saw. Great job kid.”

“Um, I should get going,” Melanie said. “But maybe you could visit me later Lore?”

“Yes, good idea,” he agreed. 

“Can I come too?” Aiden asked. 

“Sorry... it’s more of a personal discussion Aiden,” Melanie explained.

“Oh... fine,” he sulked.

“We can hang out later though!” 

“Alright,” he muttered.

* * *

The next familiar face was even more surprising... and maybe even more of an issue for Lore. That evening, on his way to meet Melanie, he bumped into Wesley Crusher. No longer the “troublesome little man-child”, he was now a young man.

“Data?” Wesley asked. “No... wait,” He took in Lore’s civivilan clothing - a plain black one piece. “I’ve heard about you... Lore,” Wesley said with unease.

“Hello, Wesley,” he replied awkwardly.

Wesley shuddered slightly. “I want to believe you’ve changed, but that’s kind of difficult for me to do.”

“Yeah... yeah, that makes sense.” What else could he say? Wesley’s concerns did make complete sense. He’d only met Wesley the one time, when he was reactivated and tried to offer the crew’s lives to the Crystalline Entity. Wesley... well, if he hadn’t figured out that Lore was pretending to be Data... maybe none of them would be here right now. And Lore would certainly never have become who he was today in that case...

“...I guess I might see you around,” Wesley said, leaving the corridor in a hurry. 

“That went well,” Lore commented sarcastically.

“What went well?” Melanie asked, poking her head out from her quarters. 

“The opposite of well is how it went,” he grumbled.

“Oh... well, come on in!” She invited.

Once Melanie and Lore were both seated inside, the silence was tense. They both knew what they were there to discuss, but didn’t want to break the calm.

“So... Fable,” Melanie finally said. “Or Aiden now, I suppose...”

“Yeah... he doesn’t remember a thing.”

“It’s better that way,” she replied tensely.

“But you wish he remembered you, don’t you?” Lore wondered.

“Of course I do! But... the trauma that would come with those memories... I don’t think it’s worth it.”

“It can’t stay hidden forever,” Lore tried to explain. “At some point, he  _ will  _ find out. Especially with how many people have heard bits and pieces of that story, and discovering I have a  _ different _ android son now? They’re going to piece it together,” he sighed.

“You’re right,” Melanie groaned. “I guess... at some point soon, Aiden needs to be told. I can be there to explain... or help explain at least.”

“Thanks. I don’t know how we’re gonna do this though... he’s so full of hope. And we’re going to take that away from him.”

Melanie nodded, her mouth drawn in a firm line. “It’s what we have to do. Life isn’t always easy, I know that now. We can’t just fight our issues... talking it out with him is the best we can do.”

“‘Life isn’t always easy’,” Lore repeated. “That’s for sure, Melanie....that’s for sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I decided Wesley’s here too! I’m leaving it ambiguous what he’s doing. Is he doing whatever the heck on his adventures with the Traveler and decided to stop by the Enterprise for a visit? Or did he decide to go to Starfleet in the end? It doesn’t matter really. I don’t think it will have an impact on the story? At least right now it doesn’t.


	8. Uncle Data

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing I forgot to mention last chapter is Melanie has been demoted to Lieutenant. She used to be a Lieutenant Commander. Not a very important thing, just a little detail I added in.

** Ch 8 **

Aiden was bored. He wanted to explore the ship! Sure, his dad told him to stay put, but... did he really expect Aiden to listen? Oh well. He wanted to do  _ something _ , and decided that it was time to have a proper conversation with his Uncle.

So he left their quarters, and started walking... well, he didn’t know where. He didn’t think this through very well. What could he do- “Oof! Sorry!” Aiden squeaked. He’d just bumped into someone... knocking them over. Great. That’s how you want to make introductions to people.

_ Shrug it off,  _ he told himself.  _ It’s fine, it’s fine, we can recover from this! _

The other person slowly stood up. “It’s okay,” he said. Wow... he was very aesthetic. Gorgeous, handsome, something like that.

Then the person’s eyes widened. “You’re Lore’s son,” he gaped.

“That I am,” Aiden confirmed. “I’m Aiden! Who are you?”

“Wesley Crusher. Um, there’s no easy way to say this, but... your dad tried to kill me the last time I saw him?”

Aiden nodded. “Oh, I already know he used to be a pretty awful person.” 

“You do?” Wesley asked, confused. 

“Yes! My dad told me. He’s trying his best to be better now, as far as I can tell.”

“I hope you understand that’s hard for me to believe,” Wesley shrugged.

“Maybe I can help change your mind?”

“Maybe,” Wesley nodded hesitantly. “Well, I’ve got to go, see you around maybe?”

“Yeah! For sure!” Aiden waved as Wesley walked off. 

Aiden liked Wesley. He  _ really really  _ wanted to become friends with him. He didn’t have much reason for that though, he supposed. Funny. 

Oh. Wait a minute! He still didn’t know how to find his Uncle! 

“Wesley! Wesley, wait!” Aiden ran after him, catching up quickly. 

“Yeah?” Wesley turned around.

“I- I just remembered,” Aiden gave a sheepish grin. “I’m trying to find my Uncle Data, but I don’t know how...?”

“Oh, that’s easy! Wesley smiled. He turned to a computer panel on the wall. “Computer, what is the location of Lieutenant Commander Data?”

“Lieutenant Commander Data is in his quarters,” the computer chimed.

“Thanks! But... how do I find his quarters?”

“See those arrows? The computer will direct you.”

“Ahhhh... thanks so much Wesley!!”

“No problem,” Wesley gave an awkward wave as he disappeared around the corner, in the opposite direction Aiden was supposed to go.

Time to  _ really _ meet Uncle Data!  
  


* * *

The door to Data’s quarters chimed. 

“Enter,” he called.

Aiden stumbled into the room. “Hi, Uncle!”

“Hello,” Data replied. He did not know how to interact with his nephew yet. “What brings you here?”

“Well, we haven’t really gotten to chat yet! I wanted to talk to you!”

“Ah. I see. Was there anything in particular you wished to discuss?” Data asked, gesturing for Aiden to take a seat beside him on the couch.

“I don’t know... just you! I want to know my uncle!”

“I do not have much to say about myself. I was discovered on Omicron Theta by the crew of the USS Tripoli. I decided to go to Starfleet Academy and join Starfleet, and here I am.”

“So you’re trying to tell me that you’re boring?” Aiden asked in annoyance.

“No!” Data exclaimed, surprised by how strongly he felt the need to prove his nephew otherwise. “I have friends, hobbies, and interests; would those not suggest a lack of disinteresting behaviour?”

“I guess you’re right!” Aiden agreed with a grin. “What do you like to do then?”

“Painting, Holodeck mysteries, many things...” Data said.

“Okay...” Aiden thought it would be easier to talk to his uncle, but this felt very awkward. None of those things meant much to Aiden. So, he decided to ask the one thing he was still wondering about. Was that a good idea? He wasn’t sure.

“You just got emotions recently, right? How’s that going?”

Data shot upright, just the slightest bit. “It is just fine,” he said with an even tone.

“If you say so...” Aiden shrugged. “You know, I’m pretty new to emotions too. Well, to everything. I might be able to understand. At least a little.”

Data tilted his head, deep in thought for a moment. “You are correct; there would likely be some similarities to our experiences.”

“Aha! Something we can connect over!” Aiden grinned.

“I suppose so,” Data smiled back. There was a twinge of sadness with his smile though.

He would not wish to burden his nephew with this knowledge. Especially considering Aiden’s hidden past...but he was reminded of Lal in Aiden’s presence. It did not make much sense. They did not have similar personalities or appearances. But there was something about how eager Aiden was. It made him think of how Lal had been so eager to learn too. 

But he hid the bittersweet memories playing in his head with emotionally detached statements, trying to be the emotionless android he used to be. It was easy enough for him to believe, he found, that nothing had changed. That there was no emotion chip.

He knew continually doing so would inhibit him from forming a good relationship with his nephew, so Data promised himself it would not be for long. He would force himself to confront his feelings. But for now, a simple chat with his nephew would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, and now I’m all caught up with stuff I’ve already had written! I haven’t even started writing Chapter 9 yet haha. I think my problem right now is, I’ve got pretty much all my plot points into motion, but no overarching plot to connect them all. Which is fine for a story I suppose... but now it’s a lot of figuring out which thing to focus on and when.
> 
> So yeah, anyways, the next chapter will be up whenever I’ve written it! I’m not sure how long that will be haha.


	9. Geordi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up surprising myself. I wrote a whole chapter today!

** Ch 9 **

The next day, Geordi came to visit Data in his quarters, which was not unusual in itself. The two were friends, after all, and spoke to each other quite frequently. But the emotions made things so different, Data found. Sometimes in ways he could not comprehend yet.

“Hey Data,” Geordi greeted. “How are you holding up?”

“Holding up?” Data bristled. “What suggests I am struggling with anything?” 

“I just thought... with seeing your brother and having a nephew now and all... not to mention your emotions. That’s a lot to be dealing with.”

“You are correct, Geordi. I apologize. I do not intend to behave in such a...  _ rude  _ manner to you.”

“Of course not, Data. It’s completely understandable. I can’t imagine the stress you’re under.”

“It is rather difficult,” he admitted.

“Did you want to talk?”

“I... do not know,” Data whispered. He knew he’d resolved to face his emotions, but it was a rather unpleasant notion. Terrifying, even. To admit how he was feeling. He could trust Geordi though. To at least explain his hesitation.

“It is scary...” He laughed, realizing how foolish he must seem. “I sound like a child.”

“Data, hey... nobody is full of confidence when they’re talking about feelings. You’re right, it _is_ scary. But sometimes it’s worth it to open up. You might feel better once you let it out. It’s up to you, though.”   
  
Geordi put his hand reassuringly on Data’s shoulder. Were Data’s sensors acting up or did Geordi’s hand linger for more time than what would have been considered necessary...? Had Geordi _always_ done that? Hmm. Data noticed that he did not mind the excessive contact...

“Alright I will tell you,” he decided. “Aiden reminds me of Lal.”

“Oh,” Geordi shook his head. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“That is alright. Just... I do not know how to be a good uncle. I know I should not continue to block off my emotions, but it is so much easier that way.”

“Oh, Data... you can’t shove your emotions to the side. That’s not healthy!”

“I am aware it is unwise,” Data said. “I do not know how to handle this though.” He paused, so lost and unsure. Emotions were certainly difficult. “Geordi, what do I do?”

“Well, I can’t just  tell  you what to do. I can give some advice though. Maybe not the best advice, but I’ll try.”

“Please do,” Data encouraged.

“Well... it really depends on the situation and your personal thoughts. Sometimes it’s better to tell the other person what you’re feeling. Sometimes you might see that it’s not, and then you have to find another way to deal with those feelings.”

“What other ways are there?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out,” Geordi chuckled.

“Oh. I am sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault,” Geordi shrugged.

Why did Data get the sense that there was something he was missing...?

“Anyways,” Geordi said. “You need to look at the situation and figure if it’s a good idea to tell Aiden what’s bothering you or not. Would it help to discuss things with him, or only make it worse?”

“I had thought it would make things worse,” Data said. “I am unsure what Lore is planning to do in regards to Aiden’s past... but it would be far too much to be burdened with both my problems and his own.”

“Sounds like you’ll have to do something else then. Maybe go to Deanna?”

“Maybe,” Data agreed. “Perhaps you should do the same, with whatever issue you are facing.”

“I think she’s already done all she can to help...” Geordi sighed in annoyance. It seemed he did not agree with what the Counsellor had suggested...

“But thanks, Data.”

“Of course.”

Something felt different between him and Geordi, Data realized. Different than it had before the chip. Or perhaps he was just more aware of it. But he could not put a name to it... how puzzling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, now all the pieces are officially into motion... we’ll see how this goes for everyone. There’s so many emotional messes around this ship right now, huh? Lol.


	10. But, Daaaad!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It’s been a while... sorry! Just haven’t had any motivation to write. But here’s this! :)

** Ch 10 **

“So, how was your talk with Melanie last night?” Aiden asked.

“Just fine,” Lore lied, trying to keep an air of calm around him.   
  
_ Nope, definitely not hiding anything about you! _

...That was going to be a horrible conversation, whenever it ended up happening. His son was a murderer too. Of someone who had been like a mother to him. Just great.

“What did you do all night?” He asked.

“Oh, nothing much.” 

“Really? You were so excited to be here. You didn’t find anything to do?” 

“Well, I couldn’t leave these small quarters, now could I?” Aiden complained.

“They’re not that small! We’ve got a few rooms here, be grateful.” Lore froze up as he realized what he said. 

_ What the hell? Be grateful? What?  _ That didn’t sound like him at all. That... that sounded like  a _parent_ . Which he was now. Oh damn. Parental crisis? Ahahahahaaaa... marvellous. 

“Would now be a bad time to tell you I might’ve... potentially... met a new friend?” Aiden asked.

Lore snapped back to reality. “What? Last night?” 

“Uh huh... and he knows you too.”

“I’m guessing that isn’t a good thing, is it?”

“He doesn’t really believe you aren’t still evil?”

“So, who is it?” Lore asked, frustrated. 

“Wesley Crusher. I really like him though! He’s so nice!”

“Despite the fact that he doesn’t like your dad...?” Lore said under his breath.

“He just has such an aesthetic face too! I haven’t seen anyone with such a lovely face before...” Aiden mused.

“You haven’t seen that many faces period.” Lore counteracted.

“Well, yeah. But that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize a nice face when I see one!”

“Okay, okay. Chill out.”

“I  _ am _ chill! I’m fine!” Aiden said, agitated.

“Whatever. Just, go be friends with him if that’s what you want.”

“Wait... really?”

“Yeah...? I’m not gonna stop you. He can’t tell you anything you don’t already know about me.”

“I guess you’re right! I am gonna be  so  friends with him like you wouldn’t believe!”

“...great. Have fun with that.”

“I will! I’m going to look for him right now!”

Lore had a sneaking suspicion what all  _ that  _ was about, but really didn’t want to think about it. When your kid’s an android, the speed at which they grow up is kinda weird.

And it’s not like he had any advice on  that either. Who the hell would there have been for Lore to become infatuated with? Especially since he thought of organic life forms as below him for the longest time. And being so caught up in hatred didn’t really leave room for other emotions.

Did he have the ability to love? Stupid question. Of course he should. Lore had emotions. But... how could he know? Yes, he was certainly close with Data by now. 

_ But do I  love Data? I’ve said it before, and thought I meant it but... _

As soon as he asked himself, Lore knew the answer. He’d loved his parents. Before everything went downhill. He knew what love was like, even if it had been many years. It was happiness, but not always happy, togetherness, but not always together. But it always came back to that in the end. If you have good people you love, that is. Arguments can be mended, and you would remain close.

_ That is me and Data, _ he supposed.  _ And Aiden too...  _

Romantic love though... Lore didn’t know if he would ever feel that. And frankly, he didn’t care. It was enough to have a family who cared about him. And some friends too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, and if you check out my Instagram page, @lore_a_lie, you can see wonderful artwork of Lore and Aiden made by Galaxsphere347!!


	11. Surprising Developments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s been so long... I just haven’t had motivation to write for a while. I had a lot of things to figure out with this story. It looks like it’s going okay now haha.

** Ch 11  **

Aiden was lucky enough to run into Wesley right away, otherwise he wouldn’t have known what to do. Well, he still didn’t know what to do. He just found himself babbling in front of Wesley. “Hey, remember me from yesterday? Would you wanna hang out today? This ship, it’s cool huh? But you’ve been on a starship before, so I guess it’s not as amazing to you...”

Wesley laughed. “It’s still pretty amazing, Aiden. Starships always are. I was going to visit my mom and some friends for the day, but maybe some other time?”

“Oh. Yeah. That’s fine. Sure!” Aiden said, trying to hide his disappointment.

“Bye!” Wesley waved, heading off to be with his  _ friends _ .

_ What now... I don’t- _

Suddenly, Aiden was holding a weapon.  A phaser, he somehow knew. He’d jumped in front of a man, and shot the phaser at someone across the room, barely thinking... just knowing he had to save that man. He had a dreadful feeling that he hadn’t done the right thing...

Aiden blinked a few times in shock.  
 _What was that?  
_ It was very foggy in his mind, but had felt so real at the moment.

It didn’t make any sense. Shooting at somebody? Why would he imagine that? Could this have something to do with having a past murderer as a dad? That was the only guess he had, so... 

Aiden really wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.

* * *

  
  
Lore surprised himself. He actually went to Deanna Troi, hoping for some advice on his son... but the conversation went a way different direction.

“Lore, it’s so good to see you!” Deanna exclaimed, embracing Lore in a hug.

“Yeah, you too.” He smiled. 

“This is such good timing, I was actually planning on asking you about something. Come, sit down.”

“Oh? What?” Lore asked, sitting next to her on the couch.

“What you’re going to do now. Of course, you’re welcome to stay on the Enterprise as long as you need, but you’ll need to start looking at possible careers now. What you want to do with your life.”

Damn. He didn’t have a clue. Lore had been so focused on Aiden that he’d never stopped to think about his own future past that. 

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I have no idea what I’d even want.”

“I had a feeling that was going to be the case,” Troi nodded. “I have a suggestion - I don’t think you’ll agree with it at first, but try to hear me out.”

_ Oh, great. That doesn’t sound good. _

“Fine... what is it?”

“Counselling. A career in counselling.” 

“What- are you joking?”

“I’m serious, Lore. I don’t think you’d be ready yet... but. How  _ are  _ you doing with your son?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just answer me. Please?”

“Not that great. There’s still the whole issue of him having a past he doesn’t know about.”

“Those are unusual circumstances though. Other than that, how are you doing?”

“Well, I don’t know how to be a father? So not good.”

“Lore, you’re lying to me.”

“What?!”

“I can sense these things, remember?”

“But... fine.” Lore sighed. “I guess we’re doing alright overall. Doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing still... just that I haven’t fucked up yet.”

“Of course you’re going to make mistakes. That’s a natural part of parenthood. But I sense the delicate care and love you hold for Aiden. I know it’s surprising, but I think you might have an aptitude for counselling.”

“Just because of Aiden.” He bluntly stated.

“No. Because... Lore, can’t you see? You’re actually an empathic person!”

“Huh? Are you  _ sure  _ this isn’t a joke? Where was my empathy when I killed the colonists? Where was it when I tried to kill everyone on this ship?” He paused, seething with... well, he wasn’t even sure what. Hatred... but of who?Troi looked at him with worry. “Where was it when I manipulated Data and had him perform experiments that very likely could’ve led to the death of his friend?” Lore growled. “Where was that empathy?”

“I- I had no idea. But I should’ve... Deanna bowed her head down. “You’ve been internalizing your emotions about yourself all this time, haven’t you? Trying not to think about it.”

Lore trembled slightly. He hoped she didn’t notice. Sometimes it was a curse to be so human... he really couldn’t hide his emotions.

“I’m not a good person, I shouldn’t be a father! I shouldn’t have a career, what can I do to help anyone!”

He got up and started pacing around the room. “Aiden’s going to be so screwed up once he finds out the truth!” 

Deanna uttered “Lore”, sounding miserable.

“Things would’ve been better if I had stayed deactivated,” he whispered.

“No,” Deanna ran to him, hugging him tight. “You have gained so much... and brought so much into this world, even if you don’t see it. I am so glad that I am able to call you a friend after all we’ve been through. If you stayed deactivated,  _ dead  _ basically, I wouldn’t have Lore - a hilarious, sarcastic, caring man as my friend.”

Lore pulled away. “You really consider me a friend?”

Deanna nodded. “Yes. I feel we are friends at this point.”

“But why? Why would you even want to be friends with me?”

“Lore, you know that at first, I didn’t want to. Of course not. You had only caused harm to my friends. But then I got to see more of who you were... I wanted to help. You’ve grown very much as a person. And now I can clearly see someone I am glad to have as a friend.”

... thank you.” Lore said, looking at the ceiling. “For reminding me of some of the good stuff about me. I guess. And for wanting to be my friend and all.... you’re a good friend.” 

“Of course. That’s what friends are for. But I would suggest some counselling sessions too. You have a lot you’re dealing with. But think about counselling as a career too? Only if you want to.”

“Yeah. Maybe... thanks, Deanna.” 

“You’re welcome. Now, how about we have a snack? Chocolate sundaes, perhaps?”

“It’s been too long since I’ve had one of those. Why’d you have to get me hooked before I left for a year, huh?”

“It’s not my fault I know the best desserts,” she laughed, and Lore joined in, feeling a bit lighter.


	12. Distant Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter might be a bit wonky, because I actually was hit with inspiration to write the conversation Lore and Guinan have before I even started this story. So, the context of the conversation changed a bit. Ah well. I can’t put off posting all the time haha.

** Ch 12 **

“Dad, I... I had a vision? Or something?” Aiden asked.

Lore whipped around. “What?”

“I think I saved someone’s life... but I had to hurt someone else to do it. It was really weird. Is that like... a memory of yours? Somehow?”

Oh great. Right now? What... I can’t. I’m not ready...

“That’s really. Uh. Something. I’ll try to figure something out. You go do whatever. I’ll be back later. Okay?” 

Lore didn’t wait for a response, he just rushed out of their quarters in a panic.

* * *

Lore found himself going to Ten-Forward. Downing drinks wasn’t going to do him any good, but ignoring his problems was nice. Or at least trying to ignore them... 

The bartender,  Guinan , he remembered, walked over to him, asking “And what are you up to?” 

“Wishing androids could get stupid drunk right about now, though I guess this is all synthehol either way.”

“Want some of the real stuff?” Guinan asked with a mischievous smile.

“It won’t change anything, but why not?” Lore shrugged as Guinan poured a glass of some deep blue stuff he didn’t care to know the name of. 

“You want to drown your sorrows away, even though you know it’s not the solution?” She questioned.

“Guess so.” Lore downed the drink.

“Damn, that’s sweet! What the hell?” he sputtered.

“Only the best for new friends,” she said.

“New... friends? We’ve barely talked until now, how do you decide I’m a friend already?”

“I just know. And I think I know what’s troubling you too.”

“Oh?” Lore leaned forward curiously. “So, whaddaya think then?”

“It’s a lot tougher being a parent than you thought it was going to be. But at the same time, it’s way easier. And that’s concerning you.”

Lore sighed. “Aiden he’s... such a great kid. I don’t have to do nearly as much parenting as I’d imagined, because he’s already so well behaved! Full of energy, but. What can you do. Then on the other hand, he’s a part of the ‘Soong family’. And what a family that is.... how the hell is he going to be happy with this family! There’s  me,  his grandparents, and even his Uncle’s an emotional mess right now...” Lore lamented. 

“We are such a fucked up family.... and that’s not even counting Aiden himself!”

Guinan didn’t seem too surprised by that statement, only calmly asking, “Aiden himself?”

Lore laughed bitterly. “I’m sure you’ve heard about what happened on that shuttle. But his first memory, as far as he knows, is of Omicron Theta and me. What he did, it’s still in there, just... hidden away. And he’s starting to remember! I could probably find a way to fully recover his memories if I wanted to, but he’s a kid! That’s a lot of trauma to go through. But he should at least know if not remember it, shouldn’t he?”

“Lore, tell me... why is his name ‘Aiden’?” 

“Huh? What does that have to do with this?”

“Just curious.”

“Well... he chose it himself. I told him to look through his databanks at names, and that he could pick one if he wanted... it took him a moment to decide, but he wanted to be Aiden. ‘little fire’.”

“So, he wasn’t ‘Aiden’ when he did all those things, was he?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then was it really him?”

“What?”

“Well, he doesn’t remember it, he’s going by a name of his own choosing...”

“But- it was  him.  What he believed was right to do -take down Starfleet- and being  purposefully  made with screwed up like me? Not his fault. He cared about those women... they were his family! And he jumped right into caring about me too, pretty much! He was ready to sacrifice himself for me! It’s insanely lucky that his brain was mostly intact, you know. And that he was ready to die for me -and he didn’t even know me that well- that’s my kid, alright. So damn....  caring  about everything.”

“Wonder where he got it from...” Guinan commented, with a touch of smugness.

“Uhhh... you’re not seriously suggesting...”

“Like father, like son? In this case, yes.”

“What the hell are you on about?”

Guinan smiled. “Tell me some more about yourself then. I’ve heard stories aplenty, but none of them can be the whole truth.”

Lore groaned. “You really like to make everything into a riddle, don’t you?”

“I’m a listener, not a riddler. Tell me your story... let me listen.”

A few more drinks (and a begrudgingly given story) later, and Lore found himself questioning why the hell Ten Forward had been a good idea. Not because he was drunk, (of course he wasn’t... though he wished now more than ever that he were) but because he had just spilled his life story to the bartender. Why? He was too emotionally exhausted, he really did need some long-ass talk.... and - damn, there was just something about her... she really was a “listener”, Lore supposed. 

“Well, all I heard is that you do put your whole heart into things,” Guinan said. “You felt it so deeply when the colonists feared and hated you, because you cared what they thought. You cared about yourself the most for quite a while after that, but even with your family... you’ve always cared about them in some way or another, haven’t you.” 

Lore looked at her with those eyes, lemon-lime, with a hint of pain beneath the surface. “Dammit, you’re good,” he admitted softly.

“And you are too,” she replied. “You care about your son, Lore. He cares about you too, I can tell that much. It’s never easy to tell someone the shitty truth behind things, but... once the facts are out and dealt with, you still have each other to fall back on. That family, that  caring  that you both have about yourselves. That’s beautiful. And that is what will get you through it.”

“But how? How are you so sure about that?”

“Because... you care too much about each other to let something like your pasts destroy what you have as a family.”


End file.
